Series: How to receive New Wine in 09? Pt 2
Sermon – Breakthrough Prayer
Opening Illustration: Brooklyn Tabernacle’s inspirational stories and the power of prayer – Vanessa’s Story or Winn Dixie clip on prayer.
Thesis: To receive new wine in 09 requires that we persevere in prayer for the breakthrough.
Introduction:
Our theme this year is New Wine in 09 – We talked a couple of weeks ago about the importance of being willing to change so that we can drink in a new fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Wine in the NT symbolizes the Holy Spirit and that is what is referred to in our banner.
We looked at Jesus parable in Luke 5:37-39: 37And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. 38No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 39And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’”
We discovered that Jesus was being ripped on by the religious leaders because He and his followers did not strictly adhere to the man made religious rules of the religious legalists.
How did Jesus address the old wineskins of Judaism? Here is one way that He did!
Mark 11: 12-25:
12The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
15On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written:
“‘My house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations’ ?
But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”
18The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
19When evening came, they went out of the city.
20In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
22“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23“I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
Wow – Jesus addressed the old wineskins with force and in the midst of this scene he tells them and us, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” The fig tree is a prime example of a tree which is suppose to bear fruit and does not of what happens to it – it is cursed and it dies – why? No fruit – no reproduction of life!
So we have concluded over the last few weeks and from our Scripture texts that we need be open to a fresh out pouring of the Holy Spirit. We need to pray for renewal and revival. We need to be known as a house of prayer here on the hill. Yes, we really do need New Wine in 09 here at Christian Hills and in our personal lives.
For this out pouring to occur in our lives requires us to persevere in prayer and push forward for breakthrough’s in our lives and in our church.
Last week I mentioned Paul as an example of a man who shed his old wineskins for new ones. We know that Paul wrote ½ the New Testaments and started numerous churches and brought the Gospel to the Gentiles. He shed the old wineskin of Judaism’s and its legalism for a Gospel of grace. His name ranks at the top of the list of the great men of faith in the New Testament.
This week I want to highlight another biblical hero of the faith who also shed his old wine skins for new ones. He came to a point in his life when he had the willingness to change, an openness to go with the flow of the Holy Spirit. This openness to change redirected his life and his impact for the Kingdom of God.
Who is our Hero of the faith? Peter!
By the way the book of Mark is written by Mark but Peter is telling the story to Mark. Peter led by the Holy Spirit directs Mark what to write in this Gospel and Mark writes down Peter’s observations and teachings about Jesus.
The following from International Standard Bible Encyclopedia:
First Period:
The first period again may be conveniently divided into the events prior to the Passion of Christ and those following. There are about ten of the former: the healing of his wife’s mother at Capernaum (Mt 8:14 ff); the great draught of fishes, and its effect in his self-abasement and surrender of his all to Jesus (Lk 5:1-11); his call to the apostolic office and his spiritual equipment therefor (Mt 10:2); his attachment to his Master, as shown in his attempt to walk upon the waves (Mt 14:28); the same attachment as shown at a certain crisis, in his inquiry “Lord, to whom shall we go?” (Jn 6:68); his noble confession of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, and, alas, the rebuke that followed it (Mt 16:13-23); the exalted privileges he enjoyed with James and John as witness of the raising of Jairus’ daughter (Mk 5:37) and the transfiguration of his Lord (Mt 17:1-5); and finally, the incident of the tribute money, found only in Mt 17:24.
The events beginning at the Passion are more easily recalled, because to so large an extent are they found in all the Gospels and about in the same order. They commence with the washing of his feet by the Master at the time of the last Passover, and the two mistakes he made as to the spiritual import of that act (Jn 13:1-10); the first of his presumptuous boastings as to the strength of his devotion to his Master, and the warning of the latter as to Satan’s prospective assault upon him (Lk 22:31-34), twice repeated before the betrayal in Gethsemane (Mt 26:31-35); the admission to the garden to behold the Saviour’s deepest distress, the charge to watch and pray, and the failure to do so through sleepiness (Mt 26:36-46); the mistaken courage in severing the ear of Malchus (Jn 18:10-12); the forsaking of his Lord while the latter was being led away as a prisoner, his following Him afar off, his admission into the high priest’s palace, his denial “before them all,” his confirmation of it by an oath, his remembrance of the warning when “the Lord turned and looked upon Peter,” and his tears of bitterness as he went out (Mt 26:56-58; Mk 14:66-72; Lk 22:54-62; Jn 18:15-27).
It will be seen that the story of Peter’s fall is thus related by all the evangelists, but, to quote another, “None have described it in a more heinous light, than Mark; and if, as is generally supposed, that Gospel was reviewed by Peter himself and even written under his direction this circumstance may be considered as an evidence of his integrity and sincere contrition.”
Nothing more is heard of Peter until the morning of the resurrection, when, on the first tidings of the event, he runs with John to see the tomb (Jn 20:1-10); his name is especially mentioned to the women by the angel (Mk 16:7); and on the same day he sees Jesus alive before any of the rest of the Twelve (Lk 24:34; 1 Cor 15:5). Subsequently, at the Sea of Tiberias, Peter is given an opportunity for a threefold confession of Jesus whom he had thrice denied, and is once more assigned to the apostolic office; a prediction follows as to the kind of death he should die, and also a command to follow his Lord (Jn 21).
Second Period:
The second period, from the ascension of Christ to the conversion of Paul, is more briefly sketched. After the ascension, of which Peter was doubtless a witness, he “stood up in the midst of the brethren” in the upper room in Jerusalem to counsel the choice of a successor to Judas (Acts 1:15-26). On the day of Pentecost he preaches the first gospel sermon (Acts 2), and later, in company with John, instrumentally heals the lame man, addresses the people in the Temple, is arrested, defends himself before the Sanhedrin and returns to his “own company” (Acts 3; 4). He is again arrested and beaten (Acts 5); after a time he is sent by the church at Jerusalem to communicate the Holy Spirit to the disciples at Samaria (Acts 8). Returning to Jerusalem (where presumably Paul visits him, Gal 1:18), he afterward journeys “throughout all parts,” heals Aeneas at Lydda, raises Dorcas from the dead at Joppa, sees a vision upon the housetop which influences him to preach the gospel to the Gentile centurion at Caesarea, and explains this action before “the apostles and the brethren that were in Judea” (Acts 9:32-41; chapter 11).
After a while another persecution arose against the church, and Herod Agrippa, having put James to death, imprisons Peter with the thought of executing him also. Prayer is made by the church on his behalf, however, and miraculous deliverance is given him (Acts 12). Retiring for a while from public attention, he once more comes before us in the church council at Jerusalem, when the question is to be settled as to whether works are needful to salvation, adding his testimony to that of Paul and Barnabas in favor of justification by faith only (Acts 15).
Subsequently, he is found at Antioch, and having fellowship with Gentile Christians until “that certain came from James,” when “he drew back and separated himself, fearing them that were of the circumcision,” for which dissembling Paul “resisted him to the face, because he stood condemned” (Gal 2:11-14).
Little more is authentically known of Peter, except that he traveled more or less extensively, being accompanied by his wife (1 Cor 9:5), and that he wrote two epistles, the second of which was penned as he approached the end of his life (2 Pet 1:12-15).
The tradition is that he died a martyr at Rome about 67 AD, when about 75 years old. His Lord and Master had predicted a violent death for him (Jn 21:18, 19), which it is thought came to pass by crucifixion under Nero. It is said that at his own desire he was crucified head downward, feeling himself unworthy to resemble his Master in his death.
It should be observed, however, that the tradition that he visited Rome is only tradition and nothing more, resting as it does partly upon a miscalculation of some of the early Fathers, “who assume that he went to Rome in 42 AD, immediately after his deliverance from prison” (compare Acts 11:17). Schaff says this “is irreconcilable with the silence of Scripture, and even with the mere fact of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, written in 58, since the latter says not a word of Peter’s previous labors in that city, and he himself never built on other men’s foundations” (Rom 15:20; 2 Cor 10:15, 16).
Peter is a case in point of a person who shed 3 old wineskins:
1. Judaism (legalism), the voice which says, “I can get to heaven on my good own good works.”
2. The Macho individualistic mindset which says, “I will do it my way – even if I have to rely on brute force” wine skin.
3. The fear wineskin and its attached shame of failure.
Scripture Texts:
Acts 12:1-19
1It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 4After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
5So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
6The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.
8Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. 9Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.
11Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”
12When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”
15“You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”
16But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the brothers about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.
18In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.
T.S. - The Word of God exhorts us, even charges us to pray through the trials and tribulations of life – Pray, Until, Something, Happens. We are to pray through for the break out and for the breakthroughs. Case in Point Acts 12:1-19 – Peter’s jail break.
I. Breakthrough Prayer leads to revival and freedom in the Spirit.
a. It becomes important for us as the NT Church to understand that when trials and tribulations come our way we need to P.U.S.H. through them with prayer.
b. Peter’s ordeal of being arrested and the church’s response in pray teaches us about the importance of praying through for a breakthrough (Acts 12:1-19).
i. Remember - James is killed by a sword directed by Herod and Peter is arrested – Why, it pleased the Jews!
1. WOW! The church is under attack and Herod inspired by the Jews and Satan is bent on wiping out the church.
a. He commits murder and people applaud!
b. He arrests innocent men and people clap.
2. The church at this point has a few options at its disposal to confront this injustice (Idea here pulled from Jim Cymbala’s book “Fresh Power “ pg. 88,89).
a. They could start a demonstration – they could march on Washington and protest because there are 5,000plus in the church at this point in time. They could say “We are a voting block Herod and you better take notice and give us what we demand!”
b. They could storm Herod’s palace and slay him with the sword like he did James.
i. Eye for an eye!
c. They could condemn James for not having enough faith because he was martyred.
i. Put the blame of James!
d. They could have started confessing positively and started saying “This is all going to go away. Everything is fine James is not really dead. Peter is not going to be killed after Passover is over. All is well!”
e. They could have started a radical Newspaper to address the issues and inform the public of what’s going on.
i. “Herod kills innocent man of God!” headline reads.
f. They could have remembered all the past spiritual victories and rehashed them. They could just live in the past and remember the way we where.
i. They could live in denial and wish for a return of the past!
g. They could have turned tail and run.
h. They could have quit and given up on God because things were getting tough.
i. They could have said, “God is dead!”
i. But they did none of the above- Instead they called a prayer meeting and started praying earnestly to God for a miracle.
i. Jim Cymbala states, “Too many times when we are under stress or opposition, we hold strategy sessions, we ‘claim the promises’ in rote sort of way instead of praying them biblically. But God said we could ‘receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need.’ Where? At ‘the throne of grace’ (Hebrews 4:16).
1. Bill Hybels states this about prayer from his book Too Busy Not To Pray:
a. “From birth we have been learning the rules of self-reliance as we strain and struggle to achieve self-sufficiency. Prayer flies in the face of those deep-seated values. It is an assault on human autonomy, an indictment of independent living. To people in the fast lane, determined to make it on their own, prayer is an embarrassing interruption. Prayer is alien to our proud human nature. And yet somewhere, someplace, probably all of us reach the point of falling to our knees, bowing our heads, fixing our attention on God and praying. We may look both ways to be sure no one is watching; we may blush; but in spite of the foreignness of the activity, we pray (chapter 1).
ii. Abraham Lincoln wrote, “I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me seemed insufficient for the day.”
1. This is the attitude we need to have in the church today to see a determination to PUSH through in prayer and see lives transformed.
3. In Acts 12:5 we are told that the church is earnestly – in other words – they working diligently at praying – they are praying on a continual basis – they are laboring to give birth to a miracle- their knees are aching – the sweat is pouring out because of their hard labor. They are crying out in anguish to the Lord. “Help us and Peter or we too will be slain by the sword!”
a. They are doing this with passion and determination. They are PUSHing through the storm from Herod and Satan.
i. The dangerous cold heartless storm of a man pleaser.
ii. The raging blowing wind of an enemy of the church and of Jesus Christ.
b. It’s a real blizzard that has already taken some lives and is hungry for more. But they are pushing against it they are driving it back with prayer.
i. They are PUSHING through the pain of loss for the break out and breakthrough.
ii. They know where the power of God comes from it is unleashed by prayer.
T.S. - The church needs to labor earnestly in prayer for our world, for others, and for each other so we can be a part of a miracle for someone.
II. Breakthrough prayer leads to miracles
a. When we pray earnestly don’t be too surprised when God does a miracle (Acts 12:5-17).
i. I love this part of the story of Peter’s jail break.
ii. Remember: They were praying for a miracle – for Peter’s release but it surprised them when it happened.
iii. The prayer warriors could not believe the women’s report. They said women you are flaking out don’t take this prayer thing to serious. Your delusional Peter’s in jail.
b. But believe it or not prayers do bring miracles. Not only in the NT church but also today:
i. I could spend the rest of this year sharing miracle stories with you but time is not available to do this.
1. But answer this question: “Does God do miracles today?”
a. Yes, He still does!
ii. I have come to the conclusion in my 25 years of ministry that some people in the church are afraid of the results of breakthrough prayer. For Example:
1. Illustration of Churches praying against Brewery:
a. A church is and being sued by an atheist owner. The judge says he was in a dilemma: On one side the atheist who does not believe in God blames the churches for praying and having his brewery destroyed. On the other side the church denies that it was their prayers that burned down the brewery.
c. The truth is even though we pray and the NT church prayed they still had to deal with persecution and loss.
i. Yes, whether you want to acknowledge it or not prayer brings miracles. But sometimes we miss them or don’t see them currently because of our current state.
1. Will some people will not be released in time like this. Yes! Why? Because God’s in charge and He has a plan that we sometimes don’t know about!
a. I know God responds to prayers in three ways:
i. Yes
ii. No
iii. Wait
1. We just have to accept His answer and press on!
d. The dilemma of prayer and miracles:
i. Yes, some people don’t want miracles of the supernatural kind because then it messes up their man made theologies.
ii. Some don’t want miracles because then they realize that it’s God that is in charge not us.
iii. Some don’t want miracles because then they realize that we need to do more praying instead just running our great man made programs.
iv. Some don’t want miracles because they fear that we could lose control and have to do things God’s way.
v. Some don’t want miracles because then people will be Spirit empowered doing ministry with no formal training.
vi. Some don’t want miracles because then there will be jail breaks and then we will have all these ex-cons in our church.
vii. Some don’t want breakthrough prayer and miracles because then they would have to change.
viii. Some actually will not believe (a miracle ) even when God does do a miracle (Acts 12:14,15).
1. Reread this text – some of you are thinking this is impossible– Peter got out of jail by an angel appearing, waking him up, unlocking the chains that bound him, getting him past the guards and supernaturally unlocking and opening the gate by itself.
a. Impossible!
2. Then he was inspired to go to the prayer meeting where they were praying for his release and he knew where it was.
a. Ya right!
3. But the Bible tells true life stories of God doing miracles. And He is still doing miracles like this today.
a. Reference “Vanya’s Story”
e. So what did the early church receive for its efforts in prayer?
i. Herod never got his man. Why? The church prayed!
ii. Herod was dealt with by God. Why? The church prayed!
iii. The Gospel kept being presented. Why? The church prayed!
iv. They experienced miracles. Why? The church prayed!
v. People kept getting saved. Why? The church prayed!
vi. People continued to be amazed and saved. Why? The church prayed!
vii. This true life story is in the Bible. Why? Because the church prayed.
viii. They learned to not preach people out or sing people out but to pray them out of bondage!
T.S. – Here are some practical ways to pray – be creative in prayer.
III. How to pray – practical ideas – to get you out of the old wineskins:
a. Do prayer walks through your town, around schools, government buildings other places of interest.
b. Pray in school hallways – some schools open in the morning for walkers – find on and go walk and pray.
c. Pray out loud and or silent.
d. Pray for people while you drive – when you are at a stop light.
e. Make prayer lists to pray for others.
f. Pray while you work out at the gym.
g. Pray on the train and on the plane.
h. Pray for people you meet each day.
i. Pray for government leadership in your area and nationally.
j. Pray while you write in your personal journal.
k. Listen to worship music and pray.
l. Pray as you are reading books.
i. Share Tiffs story!
m. When someone asks you to pray – pray right then.
n. Set aside the time to pray and make it fun – not boring.
o. Pray for the people you encounter each day.
p. Look for prayer moments and pray.
Video Clip” from September Dawn – Blessings and cursing– how not to pray having the wrong attitude in prayer.
IV. Types of prayer that people pray today.
a. The Trivial Prayer: “Help me Lord to get over this cold!”
b. The Self-motivated Prayer: “My brother is being shipped to Iraq -Lord but don’t let this happen.”
c. The Controlling Prayer: “Please Lord, bless my plans that I have worked hard on.”
d. The Blaming Prayer: “Lord change Pastor Mike’s uncaring heart and have him change his mind about giving me money to pay my bills.”
e. The Manipulative Prayer: “Lord deal with Mary’s bitterness – deliver her Lord – she is so deceived.”
i. This is when people pray at others!
T.S. – We need to pray with right motives and with determination to see God do breakthroughs in our lives and in the church.
Video Illustration: From Wing Clips – Sept. Dawn “Blessings and Cursings.”
Conclusion: Why should we pray with pure hearts and pure motives – because then God will answer our prayers?
1. Because the enemies plan to destroy the church will be thwarted and the church will see miracles.
2. Because the spread of the Gospel will continue as the church prays.
3. Because people will find Jesus and be saved.
4. Because there will be jail breaks wrought by the power of the Holy Spirit and prisoners will be set free.
5. Because there will be testimonies shared about the delivering power of God through prayer.
6. Because people will be encouraged to PUSH through by praying.
7. Because if we stop praying through then the church will float aimlessly like a ship without power on a wind tossed ocean.
Close with Jim Cymblala’s Quote!
Cymbala shares in his book, “Fresh Power” - There are players and watchers in the church! He states, “But just as there are people who watch from the bleachers and never know the challenge of competing on the court, we have millions of church goers who sit in pews every week without ever entering the game. They sacrifice nothing, strain toward no ministry goals, never agonize in prayer for one soul, but pass judgment on how well the contest of faith is being played. Often they act as if “they know” It looks easy from where they’re sitting, but then again, they have never really attempted much for God” (Page 140,141).
I Thess. 5:17 “Pray continually”
Ephesians 6:18: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
I don’t believe that God wants us to pray and expect quick fixes. Yet many of us are in the habit of believing that this is how God should work. I honestly believe that prayer as described in the Bible is an act that takes effort and perseverance. It is a determination like the pioneers of old who pushed their way across the Dakotas through raging blizzards and cold to get to sunny California or Oregon. I have read many of their stories. Their adventures were filled with unbelievable obstacles, setbacks, and loss. But they had a fortitude that drove them through the storms to their desired location of sun and prime farm land. They had a hope – the kind of hope we need in the church today.
Altar call: It’s vital that we pray!
